Volume 54 Number 17
Produced: Thu Feb 22 5:33:44 EST 2007
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
10 Commandments being read across
[.cp.]
Beit Din (2)
[Irwin E. Weiss, Esquire, Rabbi Wise]
Bris Milah, Shabbat and Tefillin
[Carl Singer]
Captives
[Carl Singer]
Elat
[Rabbi Wise]
Smoking again
[Joel Rich]
"That Dreaded Disease"
[Dov Teichman]
Web Site for finding Shuls
[Jeanette Friedman]
What to do with Conservative Responsa
[Anonymous]
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From: .cp. <chips@...>
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 1:14:40 -0800
Subject: Re: 10 Commandments being read across
in response to the post in mail-jewish Vol. 54 #13 Digest
I don't recall which one, there is a shiur for Sedra Yisro at
yotorah.org that discusses the idea that the `Dibros` can be understood
as a relationship from one to the other.
"I am your G0d" -> "do not commit murder"
"do not have other gods" -> "do not commit adultery"
etc. some of the parrallels are obvious, others not so much.
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From: Irwin E. Weiss, Esquire <irwin@...>
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 08:54:58 -0500
Subject: Beit Din
The complaints of the anonymous writer with regard to alleged prejudice
in the unnamed Beit Din are, of course, possibly valid complaints. It
is also possible they are not.
As one who is involved in civil litigation in the secular courts, I can
tell you that the people who lose cases are frequently convinced that
witnesses, judges, jurors, lawyers, court personnel, and everyone else
in the world is severely and irrationally prejudiced against them.
People who are vindicated in court believe that the judges are fair.
That said, sometimes the person who should win loses, and sometimes it
is the other way around.
Irwin E. Weiss, Esquire
Baltimore, MD
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From: <Meirhwise@...> (Rabbi Wise)
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 09:51:58 EST
Subject: Re: Beit Din
If Beit Din experience anonymous wishes to write to me off list , I am
willing to help him in any way I can.
Rabbi Wise
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From: Carl Singer <casinger@...>
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 07:33:09 -0500
Subject: Bris Milah, Shabbat and Tefillin
> My question then is: if for reasons beyond his control (ie health
> reasons etc) a man could not have a bris, would he be required to wear
> tefillin on Shabbos?
As I recall if two previous siblings die as a result of a bris (one
might presume they were hemophiliacs or some such) then the subsequent
child is exempt from having a bris -- I don't recall any mention of
tefillin in the related discussion.
Carl
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From: Carl Singer <casinger@...>
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 07:49:32 -0500
Subject: Captives
> May we soon see the speedy release of Jonathan Pollard and all of
> Israel's captives and MIA's.
Israel's captives and MIAs are of deep concern and in need of our
prayers. Halachically (and politically) Jonathan Pollard does not fall
into this category. Lumping these together is a grave disservice to the
former.
<and please -- no "private" emails -- I've heard it all.>
Carl Singer
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From: <Meirhwise@...> (Rabbi Wise)
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 09:58:14 EST
Subject: Re: Elat
Dear Chana et al
The Elat mentioned in Rosh Hashana 31b is NOT present day Eilat and
today's Eilat would NOT be one day's journey in Mishnaic times.
Rabbi Wise
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From: Joel Rich <JRich@...>
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 08:47:45 -0500
Subject: Smoking again
From: Arnie Kuzmack <Arnie@...>
>Frank Silberman, Joel Rich, and Russell Hendel reacted to my post in
>v54n05. I'd like to respond in turn:
>[Joel:]
>>> R' Moshe appears to be making a different distinction: between
>>> something whose adverse effects are real but very rare and something
>>> whose adverse effects occur in a large portion of the population.
>>> [snip]
>>
>> Where do you see this " real but very rare and something whose adverse
>> effects occur in a large portion of the population." in R'
>> Moshe's tshuva? Specifically the "very rare" and the "adverse effects"
>> (vs. actual deaths)
>
>However, he also writes "vehakilkul lakhalot mizeh hu al kol panim rak
>miut katan vekol sheken lakhalot mizeh besartan (kenser) uveod makhalot
>mesukanot hu katan beyoter (and the risk[?] of getting sick from it is
>in any case only a small minority and all the more so to get sick with
>cancer or with other dangerous diseases is extremely small)". Thus, he
>seems to believe that the rate of occurrence of these diseases is very
>small. Elsewhere in the tshuvah, he refers to those who do not suffer
>any ill effects as "rov derova (the vast majority)". I used the term
>"very rare" to describe something with a very low probability of
>occurrence, which seems reasonable. However, I was careless in using
>the term "adverse effects", which raises the issue of non-fatal health
>effects.
>
>Now that it's been mentioned, though, what does halakhah say about
>avoiding serious health effects which are not fatal? For example, would
>we be required to avoid substances or activities that cause such
>diseases as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's? What about loss of the ability
>to speak, hear, and see? What about loss of the ability to walk,
>shower, eat, go to the bathroom? Would one not violate Shabbat to avoid
>the occurrence of such effects? More to the point, would the poskim
>refuse to ban something causing such effects because they are not fatal?
Arnie,
See the summation at the end of R' Moshe's first paragraph where he says
All those who get ill "are a minority"(me-not a very rare minority)when
compared to those who were not sickened and in this case we say shomer
psaim.
I don't know that sick but not clearly fatal and linked would or would
not count.
IMHO the broader answer is that chazal don't ban dangers considered
reasonable by society but that society changes its mind over time. This
raises the more interesting broader question as to whether halacha has a
black and white position on every element of human endeavor.
KT
Joel Rich
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From: <DTnLA@...> (Dov Teichman)
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 21:03:13 EST
Subject: Re: "That Dreaded Disease"
I think it was in the sefer Taamei Haminhagim that I once saw the idea
that by saying the name of a disease you are sort of summoning the
spirit of that disease and, god forbid, could arouse it to smite
oneself. Thus, we are left with no other reference but "Yeneh Machleh".
Dov Teichman
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From: <FriedmanJ@...> (Jeanette Friedman)
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 03:05:06 EST
Subject: Re: Web Site for finding Shuls
I'd like to let you all know that my son's website, shulshopper.com is
now live and available to anyone who needs to hunt for a minyan of their
choice, across all boards and borders.
www.shulshopper.com
I am one proud mama.
jeanette
p.s. jta covered it, the jpost covered it, and so did the forward...
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From: Anonymous
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 02:14:25
Subject: What to do with Conservative Responsa
Does anyone know what to do with photo copies or print outs of
Conservative Responsa? I was planning on throwing them out, but they do
quote regular Rishonim and Achronim. If anyone has some sources which
might provide a course of action that would be appreciated.
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End of Volume 54 Issue 17